Moreover, Deng Jiugong now had a Top-Tier Innate Root. This system reward represented the cultivation he would gain after a hundred years of practice starting from this moment, without any external aid.
In other words, with Deng Jiugong's current cultivation and innate root, a hundred years of practice would bring him to the mid-stage of the Heavenly Immortal Realm.
His cultivation had improved, and his strength had increased considerably.
By now, he could just barely make out Jiang Ziya's cultivation. Jiang Ziya was actually at the Mystic Immortal Realm.
It was said that Jiang Ziya had no destiny with the immortal path.
Could the Golden Immortal Realm be the starting point of that path?
Without longevity, one could not escape the five declines of Heaven and Man. That meant one had not attained the immortal path!
Below the Golden Immortal Realm, one's strength did not undergo any qualitative improvement. Even though Jiang Ziya cultivated Chan Sect techniques, which were by no means low-grade, they still fell short compared with Deng Jiugong's Pangu Divine Art.
Although there were two whole major realms between Deng Jiugong's cultivation and Jiang Ziya's,
Deng Jiugong had mastered divine abilities, and in his eyes, Jiang Ziya's techniques were far inferior to his own.
Compared with Deng Jiugong, Jiang Ziya's cultivation was no better than tofu dregs.
Buzz!
Their first clash had left Jiang Ziya at a disadvantage.
This time, Jiang Ziya actually brought out the God-Beating Whip.
The God-Beating Whip was designed to strike immortals and gods. Its power was immense, and it was a Top-grade Innate Spirit Treasure.
In the primordial world, Top-grade Innate Spirit Treasures were the strongest grade of Innate Spirit Treasure below Innate Supreme Treasures.
Their power was so formidable that only a Grand Unity Golden Immortal could fully unleash it.
As for Quasi-Saints, they could wield a Top-grade Innate Spirit Treasure beyond its normal limits.
Yet even Saints could make considerable use of such treasures, and in their hands, they could unleash their full potential.
For example, the Qingping Sword of Tongtian Sect Master and the Twelve-grade Golden Lotus of Merit of Daoist Jieyin were both Top-grade Innate Spirit Treasures.
Now that Jiang Ziya had brought out the God-Beating Whip, even with his improved cultivation, Deng Jiugong felt enormous pressure.
Deng Jiugong's Crimson Copper Saber was only a Low-grade Acquired Spirit Treasure. How could it stand against the God-Beating Whip?
But with battle upon him, Deng Jiugong could only steel himself and fight.
Buzz!
Deng Jiugong pushed his cultivation technique to its utmost and unleashed the Dragon Subduing Tiger Subduing divine ability. As he swung his saber, roars of dragons and tigers rang out, and a terrifying force swept toward Jiang Ziya.
With Deng Jiugong's cultivation improved, his attack now carried even greater power.
Boom!
The Crimson Copper Saber seemed to bear boundless might as it struck the God-Beating Whip.
To Deng Jiugong's horror, his saber could not withstand the whip's power. Its light dimmed sharply, and it nearly shattered.
Clearly, in a clash of this level, Deng Jiugong's saber was simply of too low a grade.
He could make up for the vast difference in cultivation with techniques and divine abilities, but the gap between their spirit treasures could not be bridged.
Deng Jiugong had lost the exchange, and his Crimson Copper Saber had nearly been destroyed.
Yet although Deng Jiugong had been put at a disadvantage, Jiang Ziya's expression changed dramatically.
It was obvious that Deng Jiugong had grown even stronger than before.
If Jiang Ziya had not had the God-Beating Whip, he would likely have suffered even worse injuries this time.
As he fought Deng Jiugong, Jiang Ziya realized with alarm that although Deng Jiugong's cultivation was lower than the now-deceased Wen Zhong's, his actual combat strength had already surpassed Wen Zhong's.
After Wen Zhong's death, Jiang Ziya's cultivation had improved again. Now, he could only block Deng Jiugong's attacks by relying on the God-Beating Whip's power.
Deng Jiugong was truly formidable.
The grade of the magic treasure in Deng Jiugong's hands was too low. He could only just manage to fight Jiang Ziya, but he was still holding on.
As Deng Jiugong and Jiang Ziya fought, the armies of Shang and Zhou clashed fiercely as well.
Juliusun merely watched. As a Grand Unity Golden Immortal, he would not interfere in a battle between mortals; he did not wish to incur that karma.
Such matters were usually handled by the Chan Sect's third-generation disciples.
Only if Shen Gongbao invited powerful Interception Sect cultivators would the Chan Sect's Golden Immortals step in, slay them, and weaken the Interception Sect.
However, if the opposing general proved too powerful for Xiqi to handle, Juliusun could also step in and subdue the enemy commander.
Juliusun was considering whether to help Jiang Ziya subdue Deng Jiugong when trouble arose for his disciple Tu Xingsun: Kong Xuan had captured him in an instant.
"Disciple!"
Juliusun was shocked at the sight.
Once Tu Xingsun captured Deng Chanyu, they had planned to consider withdrawing.
Then Tu Xingsun could take her virginity, and Deng Jiugong would have no choice but to surrender.
Unexpectedly, Kong Xuan had captured Tu Xingsun instead.
"Immortal Binding Rope!"
At that moment, Juliusun brought out the Immortal Binding Rope and sent it straight toward Kong Xuan.
"Finally decided to act?"
Kong Xuan looked at Juliusun, the corners of his mouth lifting in a faint smile.
A Grand Unity Golden Immortal, was he?
"Five-Colored Divine Light!"
With a thought, Kong Xuan unleashed the Five-Colored Divine Light. A flash of light swept past, and the Immortal Binding Rope vanished in an instant.
Juliusun was utterly dumbfounded.
"This...!"
How could he not realize now that Kong Xuan was a formidable expert?
What was more, Kong Xuan was probably stronger than him.
If Kong Xuan were not stronger, how could he have taken Juliusun's magic treasure in an instant?
Juliusun suddenly had a bad feeling.
Kong Xuan's divine ability had just given him an overwhelming sense of danger.
It was a feeling Juliusun never wanted to experience again.
He recalled the battle against the Three Xiaos of the Interception Sect. The Twelve Golden Immortals of their Chan Sect had joined forces, yet they were no match for the Three Xiaos, who had laid out the Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation.
Afterward, the Three Xiaos had stripped away the Twelve Golden Immortals' three flowers atop their heads and extinguished the five energies within their chests. They had nearly died inside the Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation.
Only when their master, Saint Yuanshi, personally intervened were they rescued. Later, with the help of their master, the Primordial Heavenly Venerate, they finally recovered their strength.
And now, he had encountered an opponent even stronger than himself!
Sensing the power of Kong Xuan's divine ability, Juliusun lost his nerve before the fight had even begun. He was scared half to death.
"I have to get out of here!"
Juliusun abandoned even his own disciple, Tu Xingsun, and immediately used an earth-escape technique to flee.
The Five-Colored Divine Light was Kong Xuan's innate divine ability. It had evolved from the five innate feathers in Kong Xuan's tail, fused with the qi of the innate five elements. In the primordial world, it was renowned for sweeping away anything and breaking through anything.
Kong Xuan had no intention of killing Juliusun, which was why Juliusun had been able to escape so easily.
Otherwise, with Kong Xuan's divine ability, how could Juliusun have gotten away?
After Juliusun fled in terror of Kong Xuan, Jiang Ziya was left dumbfounded.
If even Senior Brother Juliusun could not deal with this opponent, how could the rest of them hope to stand against him?
Turning around, Jiang Ziya saw that most of the elite Xiqi troops he had brought with him had already been wiped out by Deng Jiugong's army. His heart bled at the sight, and grief overwhelmed him.
Xiqi had spent a long time training these elite troops, making them the strongest soldiers in its ranks. He had brought them out this time, only for most of them to be lost.
"Retreat!"
Jiang Ziya's voice was hoarse. His magic power surged as he swept up a great many men and hurriedly withdrew.
Behind him, many other experts, including Yang Jian, Nezha, and Lei Zhenzi, quickly broke away amid the Xiqi army's encirclement and fled in a sorry state.
"Ding-dong! Congratulations, host. You defeated Jiang Ziya and obtained an Innate Spirit Fruit!"
At that moment, the system notification rang in Deng Jiugong's mind.
"Even this counts?!"
Deng Jiugong was delighted.
Before you continue